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Horticultural therapist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a horticultural therapist. Horticultural therapists usually study plant sciences, management, or public administration. 63% of horticultural therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 36 real horticultural therapist resumes to see exactly what horticultural therapist education sections show.

The most common colleges for horticultural therapists are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

There are also many online horticultural therapist courses to help get the education required to be a horticultural therapist.

What education do you need to become a horticultural therapist?

What degree do you need to be a horticultural therapist?

The most common degree for horticultural therapists is bachelor's degree, with 63% of horticultural therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 16%
  • Doctorate, 5%

What should I major in to become a horticultural therapist?

You should major in plant sciences to become a horticultural therapist. 31% of horticultural therapists major in plant sciences. Other common majors for a horticultural therapist include management and public administration.

Most common colleges for horticultural therapists

Horticultural therapists often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Geneva College, and Western Washington University. Here are the most common colleges for horticultural therapists in the US based on their resumes.
Horticultural therapist common collegePercentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro10.00%
Geneva College5.00%
Western Washington University5.00%
Antioch University5.00%
Colorado State University5.00%

Best majors for horticultural therapists

Best colleges for horticultural therapists

The best colleges for horticultural therapists are Northeastern University, George Washington University, The, and University of Washington.

A horticultural therapist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for horticultural therapists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become horticultural therapists.

1. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

2. University of Delaware

Newark, DE • Private

In-state tuition

$13,680

Enrollment

19,060

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

7. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

20 best online courses for horticultural therapists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for horticultural therapists

The most affordable schools for horticultural therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for horticultural therapists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for horticultural therapists.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for horticultural therapists

The hardest universities for horticultural therapists to get into are Northeastern University, George Washington University, The, and University of Washington.

Some great schools for horticultural therapists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for horticultural therapists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

6. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,365

7. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,318

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for horticultural therapists

The easiest schools for horticultural therapists to get into are AdventHealth University, mount saint mary's university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a horticultural therapist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for horticultural therapists.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average horticultural therapist salary by education level

Horticultural therapists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $52,720 annually. With a Doctorate degree, horticultural therapists earn a median annual income of $51,297 compared to $49,620 for horticultural therapists with an Bachelor's degree.
Horticultural therapist education levelHorticultural therapist salary
Master's Degree$52,720
Bachelor's Degree$49,620
Doctorate Degree$51,297

Horticultural therapist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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